Posted: February 12, 2020
December 12, 2019—Stephen M. Hahn, MD, FASTRO, was confirmed as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by a Senate vote of 72 to 18. Dr. Hahn will vacate his current position as chief executive officer of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, which he has held since 2017. He is also the Gilbert H. Fletcher Memorial Distinguished Chair and professor of radiation oncology there. Previously, he worked at the National Cancer Institute in the 1990s and joined the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where he was the chair of radiation oncology from 2005-2014. He moved to MD Anderson in 2015 to become division head of radiation oncology. Dr. Hahn specializes in lung cancer and sarcoma.
Dr. Hahn will be faced with several looming issues that have been ongoing challenges for the agency, such as the increase of vaping use in teens and the development of acute lung injuries that have resulted in a number of deaths. In addition, prescription pricing and regulation of CBD or cannabidiol will be other top priorities. ✦
